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| Long wait for 'short mail' ends, prepaid subscribers left to fend | | Ban on SMS services revoked | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Dec 22: In a significant decision which has sent jubiliations among the mobile phone subscribers across the state, the coalition government in J&K today revoked the ban imposed on Short Messaging Services (SMS) on all post-paid mobile phone subscribers in state. However, the government refrained from withdrawing it on pre-paid cell phones. The ban deprived lakhs of sub-scribers of this facility was imposed in June this year on account of widespread unrest and agitation in Kashmir Valley with intent to prevent fuelling of the situation with objectionable stuff through the SMSes.
In what can also be seen as the new year gift from the government to the sub-scribers, the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah which was attended by state police chief Kuldeep Khoda, Home Secre-tary BR Sharma and senior officials of central intelligence agencies.
Significantly, the decision to lift the ban on SMS services in Jammu and Kashmir on all post-paid connections has been taken after reviewing the overall security situation in the state. However, the ban on post-paid bulk messages will continue, again for the security reasons.
According to the order issued today to mobile service operators, SMS service to post-paid subscribers only shall be permitted.
"Bulk SMS services of licensed telecommunication operators and public utility agencies like railways, airlines, scheduled banks and electricity boards shall be permitted for post-paid subscribers only," the order said.
However, the order made it clear that bulk messages generated from various Internet portals, Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP) clients of various telecom service providers should be disallowed by all licensed telecom service providers including their franchisees.
The order also said SMS services to all pre-paid mobile subscribers shall remain suspended till further orders. "It is further clarified that SMS facility to post-paid sub-scribers shall be allowed only after taking all necessary measures to ensure that SMS is blocked to all pre-paid subscribers," the order, which comes nine days ahead of New Year, said.
The ban was imposed in June this year following widespread unrest in the Valley, which was further fuelled by bulk messages sent in by anti-national forces. It remained in effect due to the long drawn unrest and disturbances across the Valley. Even as Jammu rem-ained largely peaceful during this period, the ban was imposed in this region as well, much to the displeasure of the subscribers.
The SMS service was banned mainly to check rumour mongers and trouble makers from flaring up and fuelling the emotions in the already surcharged atmos-phere from June onwards this year.
Even as the people resisted this move contending it deprived them of the facility enjoyed by subscribers in the entire country, the Union Home Ministry and the state government attributed this largely in the benefit of masses and ensuring peaceful situation in the state. It is pertinent to mention that during Amarnath land agitation of 2008 when a similar ban was imposed across the state And, in November 2009 the Union Home Ministry had suspended pre-paid cellphone services in the restive st
However, following the intervention of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the pre-paid services with certain changes in the verification process for the subscribers were restored after a gap of nearly three months. |
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